Electronic and Experimental Music

Description

Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture provides a thorough treatment of the relevant history behind the marriage of technology and music that has led to the state of electronic music today. Beginning with an early history of electronic music before 1945, the book outlines key composers, inventions, and concepts, ranging from Edgard Varèse to Brian Eno; musique concrète to turntablism; and compositional techniques used in both analog and digital synthesis.

The third edition’s reader-friendly writing style, logical organization, and features provide easy access to key ideas, milestones, and concepts.

Features:

• Reader’s guides and summaries at the beginning and end of each chapter
• Innovations boxes providing a unique profile of an influential individual in the field of electronic music
• Listen playlists recommending key recordings in each musical genre mentioned in each chapter
• Milestones timelines summarizing the major technological and musical innovations discussed in each chapter.

Reviews

'The book is a superlative intersection of history and practice. With its charts, pictures, historical antecedents, and well-explained concepts, Electronic and Experimental Music is an essential resource for anyone interested in extraordinary sound.' Chris DeLaurenti, The Stranger

'This third edition effectively replaces both previous editions due to substantial additions and a well-executed reorganization… Holmes does an excellent job of avoiding unnecessary technical jargon while providing specific information on the analog techniques and digital software and hardware that have driven the development of this genre… This well-known history remains an invaluable guide for those hoping to gain a firm grounding in the history and culture of electronic music… Highly recommened.' - CHOICE

Contents

Preface Part I. Early History—Predecessors and Pioneers (1874 to 1960) 1. Electronic Music Before 1945 2. Early Electronic Music in Europe 3. Early Electronic Music in the United States 4. Early Electronic Music in Japan Part II. Analog Synthesis and Instruments 5. Tape Composition and Fundamental Concepts of Electronic Music 6. Early Synthesizers and Experimenters 7. Principles of Analog Synthesis and Voltage Control 8. The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer 9. The Evolution of Analog Synthesizers Part III. Digital Synthesis and Computer Music 10. Early Computer Music (1953 to 1985) 11. The Microprocessor Revolution (1975 to 1990) 12. Principles of Computer Music 13. The Evolution of Computer Music Instruments and Software Part IV. The Music 14. Classical and Experimental Music 15. Live Electronic Music and Ambient Music 16. Rock, Space Age Pop, and Turntablism

Author Bio

Thom Holmes is a composer and music historian. He studied composition with Paul Epstein in Philadelphia, was the long-time publisher of the magazine Recordings of Experimental Music (1979-1985), and worked with John Cage.

Related Subjects

1. Music Technology
2. 20th Century Music
3. Digital Music